


Shattersky

by autisticaizawashouta



Series: Darkening Skies [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-atypical violence, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, LGBT+ Characters, Prophecies, Queer warrior cats, RiverClan-centric, Sickness, SkyClan is still in the Forest, Starvation, Warnings Will Be Added as Needed, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000, but the events probably prevent the events of the books from happening, hunger, technically takes place in the past, the romance is not the main focus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-02-04 03:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12762261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autisticaizawashouta/pseuds/autisticaizawashouta
Summary: (Formerly titled The Bright Era)The Clans have lived in peace for many moons. Now they creep closer and closer to the edge of war, with one nudge being all that's needed to drown the Forest in battle.The rogues will be that nudge.The Clans will shatter. In the end, it will be the responsibility of the cats who make up the Clans to carve their own destiny.If the Clans are to survive, what was lost must become found, what once was honored must be restored and recreated, and only one under the moon can drive out the poisons that plague the land.





	1. Chapter 1

The sun was setting.

If the sun didn’t set at the end of every day, Whitespot, the RiverClan medicine cat, would be taking it as an ill omen. For moons, he had felt darkness lingering on the horizon. For moons, he had paid attention to the prickling of his fur rising on end, to the way the night seemed more absolute and the stars dimmer.

He was the only one who had felt the storm gathering on the horizon, and he narrowed his amber eyes at all the other medicine cats walking ahead of him, clueless to the way the wind sweeping across his back seemed to whisper _the plague is coming_ , _the plague is here_.

Those two statements had been hissed in the rustle of the wind in the leaves, babbled in the sound of the River flowing by the camp, shouted in every crash of thunder and every cat’s yowl.

_The plague is coming._

Whitespot shook his head. Yes, the plague was coming! He was listening! But what was the plague?

 _The plague is here_.

He huffed, and hurried faster to rejoin the other medicine cats. They were flocked around Dawnpaw, his apprentice, murmuring words of encouragement. Juniperleaf padded at her shoulder, his mellow voice giving her soothing words while Smokespiral walked silently at her other shoulder. Larkwing and Dartbird were trailing, the snappish she-cat and shy tom occasionally adding their voices to the mix.

“So you finally decided to get your head out of the clouds,” Larkwing said, flicking her tail at Whitespot, who glared at her in reply.

“At least my head can get up there,” he snapped back. “How can a cat who’s never received an omen in her life be a good medicine cat?”

“Hey!” Juniperleaf exclaimed, his voice sharp. “Behave back there!”

Both Larkwing and Whitespot ducked their heads and grumbled. Being chastised by the eldest medicine cat was a familiar but still irritating feeling.

The patrol of six continued to walk north as the sky darkened. They reached Mothermouth with plenty of time to spare, and Juniperleaf led the way through the tunnels.

How the WindClan tom could stand being in the tunnels, Whitespot had no idea. He himself had issues with not turning around and bolting out, and he spent most of his time surrounded by willows, unlike Juniperleaf who spent all his time on the open moor.

Long after Whitespot was ready for it, Moonstone and its cavern appeared, and they fanned out around it as the two RiverClan cats stepped to the front.

“I, Whitespot, medicine cat of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve the Clans for many moons to come. Dawnpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of the medicine cat, to stand apart from Clan rivalries, and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?”

He could’ve said she had stars in her eyes as she answered. “I do.”

“Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Dawnpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Dawnheart. StarClan honors your tenacity and respect, and welcomes you as a full medicine cat of the Clans.” He stepped to the side, and Dawnheart padded forward and laid down, touching her nose to the Moonstone. The other medicine cats took their own places, and moments after their noses touched the Moonstone, a shaft of moonlight hit it, illuminating the cavern.

The cats fell asleep.

 

Dawnheart awoke. Birdsong filled the air and the scent of green growing things filled her nose. She opened her eyes, and green flooded them. She was laying on a sweet bed of grass in a forest at the height of newleaf. A stream babbled nearby, and she turned her eyes to it. Its water was clear and bright, and sitting beside it was a silver tabby she-cat.

“Welcome, my young medicine cat,” the silver tabby purred warmly, her eyes closed happily. “I am River.”

“Hi,” Dawnheart mewed, ducking her head. River looked amused as she stood and leaped over to her.

“Come, we have much to discuss! Your training has gone beautifully. Whitespot, although a grouch, is a very skilled medicine cat,” she said, allowing Dawnheart time to stand and follow her as she walked along the stream. “You are a very skilled medicine cat.”

“You think so?” Dawnheart asked, her ears perking while a heat of self-consciousness flushed in her chest.

“I know so,” River replied, leaning over to give Dawnheart’s cheek a swift lick. “You have grown in a time of unprecedented peace, but be careful: that peace is coming to an end. Your skills will be tested sooner rather than later, and we can only hope you are strong enough to help see your Clan through the coming plague.”

“I’m going to be alone?” Dawnheart whimpered, her tail drooping and ears pinning back.

“As long as you have your Clan and your faith, you can never truly be alone,” River replied, brushing against the cream tabby’s fur. “But the plague _is_ coming, it is here, and it will be the darkest time of strife seen by the Clans in many generations.”

Dawnheart’s fur began to stand on end. “How do we stop it?”

River’s head dropped. “Only our Mother Moon knows, and she has been frightfully silent. But we shall give you all the information we have.”

Dawnheart opened her mouth to reply when the silver she-cat faded away. The green forest around her withered and wilted, the clear stream turned to sludgy mud, and the skies broke with storms. Thunder crashed, and the ground fell away.

She found her paws at the peak of a mountain, surrounded by the lightning flashing across the sky and dark clouds roiling around them. The other medicine cats were with her, looking in turns terrified, defiant, and attentive. Tension filled the air and the scent of ozone flooded her nose. One bolt of lightning flashed particularly close to the group of medicine cats, and while Smokespiral would deny it later, he squeaked and pressed close to Dawnheart when the thunder struck.

A slender black she-cat padded to them from out of thin air.

“If the Clans are to survive, what was lost must become found, what once was honored must be restored and recreated, and only one under the moon can drive out the poisons that plague the land.”

With one symphonic crash and howl of wind, the medicine cats woke as one, panting, their fur on end.

Dartbird launched to his feet. “I need to get back to SkyClan, I need to make sure they’re alright-“

“Calm down,” Whitespot said. “The plague’s already here. There’s no use panicking _right now_ when it’s been here for moons already.”

“What do you mean by that?” Larkwing snapped. “Did you get a prophecy none of us did? Is there something you know that we do not?”

“I have been telling you for _moons_ ,” Whitespot snarled, his dark grey tail lashing. “For _moons_ about the warnings that have been whispering to me. And not even one of you have listened.”

“Well, we are listening now,” Juniperleaf replied, his ears perked in Whitespot’s direction.

“All it’s been has been some whispering, everywhere I go. I hear it everywhere: _the plague is coming. The plague has come_ ,” Whitespot replied, flicking his tail dismissively. “It’s really no more helpful than our new _prophecy_.”

“You do understand what the giving of this prophecy means, correct?” Smokespiral asked, stretching and standing up. “There has not been a prophecy since my mentor’s mentor was a _kit_.”

“Momentous times are coming, that is for sure,” Juniperleaf agreed. “Which direction they go, however, is up to this ‘one under the moon’ that Shadow spoke of can choose which way history goes.”

Larkwing scoffed. “Like _one_ cat can change the course of history itself. As if _one_ cat can defeat this poison, this _plague_ that’s coming.”

“StarClan does not lie,” Smokespiral said. “We must trust that this one will make the correct decision in their time.”

Larkwing scoffed again and turned to leave. “I, for one, will feel much more relieved knowing my Clan is safe. Unlike Whitespot, I cannot rest easy with the knowledge of the storm to come.”

“I highly doubt Whitespot’s ‘resting easy’ right now,” Dawnheart snapped back, and then pinned her ears back in embarrassment.

“Well, now we know for sure that Whitespot is teaching her,” Juniperleaf remarked, brushing a friendly tail over Dawnheart’s shoulders.

A quiet tension fell over the six medicine cats as they left Mothermouth behind them. The sun was coming up in the east, bathing the moor in pale light. Juniperleaf and Smokespiral said their farewells and parted, padding in opposite directions, and at Fourtrees, Larkwing left Dartbird, Whitespot, and Dawnheart. The three remaining medicine cats walked together quietly except for the moments when Dawnheart would spot a fluttering leaf and pounce on it. They crossed the river as the sun reached its zenith, leaving Dartbird to make his own way back to his own camp.

Two silver she-cats and a lilac-and-white tom were leaving the camp as the two medicine cats reached it.

“Hello, Dawnpaw!” the smaller silver she-cat chirruped, and Dawnheart’s tail flicked up.

“It’s Dawnheart now,” she replied, and the other she-cat’s eyes widened.

“Really?” she asked, bounding over. “That’s great!”

“Come on, Shinepaw,” the older silver she-cat said. “You can catch up with Dawnheart later. And you know she can’t share everything with you!”

Shinepaw drooped and followed the two older cats as the two medicine cats entered the camp. Whitespot headed straight for a group of five cats sitting in the shade of a large rock pile, and Dawnheart followed right after him.

The grey tom sitting in the middle of the arch turned his head to the two approaching cats. “Greetings, Whitespot, Dawnpaw. Or should I be saying Dawnheart now?”

“Her ceremony went well,” Whitespot replied, flicking her with his tail as she tried to hide behind him. “But we have news.”

“What sort of news?” a ragged black she-cat with orange eyes- one of them blind- asked, her tail flicking. “Did you come across any of those horrid rogues?”

“No, nothing that mundane,” Whitespot replied. “StarClan delivered a prophecy. To _all_ the medicine cats.”

The five cats in their arch-formation flinched back with varying intensities.

“What did the prophecy say?” the dark grey tom asked, leaning forward. Whitespot lowered his voice.

“If the Clans are to survive, what was lost must become found, what once was honored must be restored and recreated, and only one under the moon can drive out the poisons that plague the land.”

Silence fell over the group of cats after he finished speaking, broken only by the noises of cats moving around the camp and the sounds of the territory nearby.

“Dark times are coming,” the cinnamon tom murmured, closing his eyes. “What will this mean for Mistfall and our kits?”

“Likely, strife,” Whitespot replied, and the other tom opened his eyes and glared fiercely at the medicine cat.

“I was not asking that literally,” he growled.

“Well, I answered literally,” Whitespot replied, flicking an ear.

“What could this ‘one’ be referring to?” the white she-cat mused. “One cat? One Clan?”

“Dewfern will need to be told,” the black she-cat said. “I can go find her-“

“No, Tornpelt,” the grey tom ordered. “She will be back from her patrol eventually. We will tell her then. No need to interrupt her apprentice’s training, especially with their final assessment and journey to the Moonstone so close.”

“If they both pass-“ a lilac-and-white tom began, only to be cut off by the white she-cat.

“When.”

“When they both pass,” he amended, dipping his head to her, “it will be odd not having any apprentices in the camp.”

“It will only be few moons before Thorneye’s kits are apprenticed,” the black she-cat replied.

“Mistfall will be kitting any day now, so only six moons until hers are apprentice-ready,” Whitespot added.

“And I don’t know what you’ve been noticing, but I think Swiftrunner will be joining the nursery any day now,” Dawnheart finished, and the lilac-and-white tom looked thoroughly corrected.

“I think you’ve picked on poor Lightningfoot enough now,” the cinnamon tom joked, playfully batting at the lilac-and-white tom’s shoulder. Lightningfoot batted back until the grey tom quieted them with a glare.

“Calm down, you two. This is serious. If we don’t have enough warriors when this plague comes, we could be facing the total annihilation of our Clan,” he said.

“But the prophecy says that only ‘one’ can save the Clans,” the black she-cat said. “Unless there’s some sort of double-meaning there, it seems straightforward.”

“It says one can save the Clans- multiple, as in all five Clans,” the grey tom corrected. “Even if the one doesn’t do what they need to in order to save them all, one Clan, or even remnants of a Clan, may survive. If we can ensure that one Clan survives, even if they are driven from the forest forever, then we have not lived our lives in vain.”

“No matter how different each Clan, no matter whether you run, you swim, you stalk, you leap, you slink, never forget you are Clan,” the white she-cat murmured.

“Don’t start turning into a Redstar on us, Lightsky,” the grey tom warned, and Lightsky flicked her tail.

“Redstar never said that. Timberstar said that, after they split back into five,” she corrected.

“I will just have to ask the next time I visit the Moonstone,” the grey tom conceded.

“You do that,” Lightsky replied, affectionately rubbing her cheek on his.

:::

“But I want to be a warrior _now_!” Kinkedpaw yowled, her bent grey tail lashing furiously. “I should’ve been a warrior already! We both should’ve!”

“Kinkedpaw, _calm down_ ,” Tornpelt snapped, roughly washing down her ragged black fur. “You know you’re ready, I know you’re ready, _every cat in the Clan knows you’re ready_. We just can’t risk the travel through WindClan territory right now, so would you calm down and be patient until we’re back on better terms with them?”

“We’re _never_ going to be on better terms with them,” she hissed, turning and stalking away.

Shinepaw blinked, having watched the entire confrontation from behind the grey she-cat.

“That went horridly,” she commented, and Tornpelt huffed.

“About as well as making a kit try to fight a badger,” she replied.

“She’ll come around,” the apprentice said, turning to walk away. “Just give her time.”

“Yeah,” Tornpelt snorted. “Time.” She turned and stalked across the clearing, waving her tail to the returning dusk patrol. “Hello, Frostleaf!”

The white she-cat at the front of the patrol turned her mismatched eyes in Tornpelt’s direction. “Oh, hello, Tornpelt.”

“How was the patrol?” the older she-cat asked, walking over and rubbing against Frostleaf, who returned the affectionate gesture.

“It was… interesting,” Frostleaf replied. “The rogue scent we found was so fresh we must have just barely missed him.”

“Mousedung!” Tornpelt hissed. “If I could get my claws in those rogues on our territory…”

“But we can’t,” Lionroar, the cream smoke tabby tom, growled. “That’s our entire issue!”

“We’ll get them soon,” his sister, Sunfall, promised.

“I’ll share tongues with you after I report to Dewfern,” Frostleaf told Tornpelt, who accepted her words and sat down.

It didn’t take Frostleaf long to give her report to Dewfern, and there was still light in the sky when she sat down next to Tornpelt. Without another word, the two she-cats proceeded to share tongues, washing each other and winding down along with the rest of the camp. Lightsky and her mate, Stormstar, were sharing tongues over by his rock pile. Dewfern seemed to be hovering protectively over their shoulder, but willingly shared tongues when Dawnheart rubbed against her. Over by the nursery, Redfoot and the heavily-pregnant Mistfall were sharing tongues when the queen let out a startled cry.

“Oh!” she squeaked. “Redfoot, get Whitespot, please.”

Without another word, the cinnamon lynx point tom stood and padded over to Whitespot’s den. He called into the den and received a grumpy “what do you want?”.

“My mate is kitting,” he said, and Whitespot poked his face out.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“She thinks she’s sure,” Redfoot replied, and Whitespot vanished back into his den. Dawnheart, seeing the commotion, left Dewfern’s side and trotted over to the medicine den, walking into it and then back out of it with her jaws full of herb packets, just like her mentor’s jaws.

“Alright,” Whitespot said, setting his herbs down outside the nursery. “Redfoot, see if you can get Mistfall into the nursery. Thorneye, it’s time for your kits to come have some more play-time.”

With an excited squeal, one chocolate-and-white kit, one chocolate tabby-and-white kit, and one white kit barreled out of the den and into the clearing, headed straight for where the elders were sharing tongues. They were followed by the white-furred Thorneye, walking at a more sedate pace. She acknowledged Whitespot as she padded by him, and the medicine cats entered the nursery, followed by Mistfall and a hovering Redfoot. He settled himself down near Mistfall, out of the way but close enough to offer comfort.

“Let’s hope they have a little more luck with this litter,” Snowcloud, a white elder, muttered, flicking her tail and watching the nursery with narrowed eyes.

“If you can’t be nice then keep your mouth shut,” Sunfall snapped while glaring at the elder she-cat, who pinned her ears and looked away from the young warrior contemptuously.

“Maybe you should respect your elders,” the white she-cat growled.

“She’s right, you know,” Shadynose, a lilac elder, said. One of his ears was cocked back, a little like he was fighting down the instinct to go off on Snowcloud. “That was stunningly rude of you.”

“I’m only speaking the truth. Maybe some of their kits will actually make it to being warriors this time. After two litters of early deaths, you’d think they’d learn,” Snowcloud retorted.

“I think it’s incredibly brave that they’re having kits again after those experiences,” Sunfall replied, wrapping her tail around her paws. Tornpelt and Frostleaf both meowed their agreement. Snowcloud ignored them.

The camp was dark by the time kitting was finished, but only a few cats were even dozing. Most of them were waiting, awake, for the news. When the two medicine cats left the nursery and walked over to Stormstar, most of the rest of the Clan followed them pretending not to be eavesdropping. Stormstar, Lightsky, Whitespot, and Dawnheart pretended not to notice them.

“The kitting was an easy one. Mistfall and Redfoot have four healthy kits. Three she-cats, Ripplekit, Lilykit, and Russetkit, and one tom, Stonekit.” Whitespot took a moment to lick down some messy fur. “StarClan look out for these ones. I don’t think those two would survive losing another litter young.”

The prayer was echoed throughout the rest of the Clan, and they slowly dispersed to their dens. Thorneye led her kits back into the nursery, impressing upon them the need to be quiet. The two apprentices were already asleep near their den, so the Clan let them be. Redfoot, like most new fathers, would be spending the first few nights of his kits’ lives in the nursery with them and their mother.

Dawnheart looked up at the sky before entering her den. Silverpelt in all its glory was splashed across the sky, hidden by no clouds and outshone by no moon. She couldn’t help but think the moonless night might be an omen- of which kind she couldn’t be sure.

“StarClan,” she murmured, her eyes fixed on the stars, “watch over these kits. Watch over out Clan. There’s trouble coming. Don’t let us forget we are Clan. And thank you for a healthy birth. Please, just watch over these kits.”

With finality, she padded into the medicine cats’ den.

The stars shone down on the Clan territories and beyond, but the land remained as dark as it ever was on a new moon night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ravagekit's litter becomes apprentices, and their world expands beyond their camp. Meanwhile, a seed of something is planted.  
> (Chapter warnings: Mild violence)

Ripplekit rolled into Mistfall’s side with a squeak. Stonekit came barreling after her, followed by Russetkit, while Lilykit remained curled up against Mistfall’s chest, a rumbly kitten purr emanating from her.

“Be careful,” Mistfall cautioned, her green eyes soft with worry.

“Don’t worry! We will!” Ripplekit replied, wriggling her way out of the kit pile and bouncing away. The three older kits were playing in the area just outside the den. Ravagekit, the biggest and the only tom, was play-fighting with his sisters Tigerkit and Freezekit. The two she-cats were ganging up on him, scuffling and rolling in the dirt. Ripplekit ran out of the nursery and threw herself into the pile with enthusiasm. Freezekit and Ravagekit immediately gentled up their playing, bringing Ripplekit into a newly-formed game of moss toss.

“Hey!” Tigerkit protested. “Why are we playing moss toss now? I want to play scuffle!”

“We can’t play scuffle with Ripplekit; we’d squish her,” Ravagekit explained as he hooked the moss ball with a claw and tossed it in Ripplekit’s direction. Stonekit and Russetkit were running over, and neither were the most graceful of creatures: Stonekit tripped and fell, and in trying to stop, Russetkit ran headlong into Freezekit. The white she-cat was not expecting the blow, and both kits fell over into the dirt.

Ripplekit released a tiny kitten yowl and ran for Freezekit. “For RiverClan!” she yowled, Stonekit taking up the cry with her and the two pounced on Freezekit in tandem. Ravagekit and Tigerkit released a rallying cry and came to their littermate’s defense.

“ThunderClan! For ours!”

:::

“I don’t wanna play out here,” Lilykit complained, her head and tail low as she plodded along with the rest of the kits.

“Swiftrunner’s joining the nursery so we can’t be in the way while they’re building her nest and getting set up,” Ravagekit explained gently while Ripplekit bounded along, full of energy, at his side.

“Why are you explaining that to her again? Do you think she’s mousebrained?” Tigerkit asked without a hint of malice to her voice.

“Well, no, but she keeps saying she doesn’t wanna play out here so I keep telling her that we gotta,” he replied.

“Lilykit likes to complain,” Stonekit added helpfully, popping up right next to Tigerkit. “She complains about everything: baths, playing, sleeping, nursing, playing, everything!”

“I do not!” Lilykit protested.

“Do too!” Russetkit replied.

“Do not!”

“Do too!” Russetkit ran for Lilykit, pouncing on her. The little white kit squeaked.

“Russetkit! Don’t do that!” she mewed, and Russetkit got off her.

“See?” she said, and Ripplekit frowned.

“That wasn’t complaining,” she replied. “She doesn’t like it when she gets pounced on.”

“Well, she’s gonna have to learn to be a warrior,” Tigerkit explained. “She’ll get pounced on lots then. And as an apprentice! Shinepaw tells us lots about apprentice training!”

“It’s not fair they’re not warriors yet,” Ravagekit said. “They should be warriors. They’re fourteen moons old!”

Lightsky had been bathing near the kits, and she perked up and looked in their direction when she heard them talking about the apprentices.

“They’ll become warriors after they make their journey to Mothermouth,” she said, standing up, stretching, and padding over. “They just can’t make it yet because WindClan is… not happy with us. They’re currently not allowing anyone other than Whitespot and Dawnheart onto their territory from our Clan.”

“That’s not nice,” Lilykit said.

“Well, they’re perfectly within their right not to let our warriors travel across their territory,” Lightsky replied. “It  _ is _ their territory, after all.”

Russetkit, growing bored with the conversation, turned and started walking off towards the river. Intrigued, Ripplekit followed her.

“What are you doing?” the blue-furred kit asked, and Russetkit answered without looking.

“Going to look at the river.”

“We’re not supposed to go to it alone,” Ripplekit replied. “We could fall in and drown.”

“I’m just going to look,” Russetkit whined. Ripplekit huffed and followed her, standing next to her darker-furred sister and looking out at the calm sheet of flowing water. Its surface wasn’t quite smooth- there were ripples and splashes and stepping-stones broke the surface at one area.

“I want to cross the stepping-stones,” Russetkit breathed, staring at the river with awe. “Those ThunderClanners wouldn’t know what hit them!”

“Russetkit, we’re only two moons old,” Ripplekit replied, turning to look at her sister and weighing her sanity. “We would get shredded in a fight.”

“Okay, so maybe not,” Russetkit conceded. Her green eyes still held a spark of mischief and longing. “But we could just run straight over to ThunderClan if we wanted.”

The two kits watched the river for a few moments, until Ravagekit ran over and joined them. He sat down next to Ripplekit.

“Are you admiring the river?” he asked, and the two she-cats voiced their confirmation. “It is gorgeous. Come on, Swiftrunner’s all settled in now. Let’s go say hi.” He swept his tail around Ripplekit as he stood, and she stood with him. Russetkit reluctantly joined them, and trailed behind the two of them as they walked to the nursery.

She gave one last glance over her shoulder at the stepping-stones breaking the gleaming surface of the river.

:::

Ravagekit and Ripplekit tiptoed around the nursery.

“Come on, sunrise is the best, you don’t wanna miss it!” he whispered, trying to get the smaller kit to move faster. Russetkit had woken up long enough to blink sleepily at them while Lilykit and Stonekit remained solidly asleep.

Ripplekit marveled at the camp. At twilight, it was so much gentler than daylight. The camp was filled with soft hues, shades of grey, and lilac tones. Frostleaf, Dewfern, and Shinepaw were assembling at the camp entrance, preparing for the dawn patrol. Looking at the three she-cats standing there, Shinepaw looked like a warrior. She was big enough to be a warrior, old enough to be a warrior, and she already held herself like a warrior. The night guard, Lightningfoot, was looking ready to curl up and fall asleep at any moment while Sunfall and Lightsky were sitting next to the river.

Ravagekit and Ripplekit walked across camp, away from the river, to sit on one of the flat rocks next to the stream that went around the camp. A pink glow was visible above the loner-side hills, and the two kits watched with rapt attention as a dusky pink and gentle oranges painted themselves across the sky. The camp began to wake up, the sleepy murmurings of half-awake cats floating to Ravagekit and Ripplekit’s ears. Redfoot was the first cat to approach them.

“What are you two doing out here so early?” he asked.

“Watching the sunrise,” Ripplekit replied, jumping off the rock to rub against her father.

“That sounds very nice,” he replied, licking the top of her head. “You should return to the nursery now, before your mothers wake up to see you missing. After all, Ravagekit has a very big day ahead of him.”

“That’s right!” Ravagekit exclaimed, jumping off the rock and sprinting across camp to the nursery with Ripplekit hot on his heels. They ran into the nursery, and Ravagekit ran straight to Thorneye.

“Where have you two been?” Mistfall asked, looking up from bathing a wriggling Stonekit. The blue tom sensed her attention on Ripplekit and almost squirmed free, but Mistfall kept her grip on him.

“Ravagekit took me out to watch the sunrise,” Ripplekit replied.

“I hope you two were supervised,” Thorneye said, and Ravagekit nodded.

“We were. There were plenty of cats up before the sun,” he meowed. Tigerkit and Freezekit were still curled up against their mother’s side, seemingly soaking up the last bit of time in the nursery.

The kits went out into the camp again as the dawn patrol was coming back. Frostleaf padded over to the dark form of Stormstar to give her report while the kits found Dewfern and Shinepaw.

“Did you have to fight off any mangy ThunderClan warriors?” Russetkit asked, bouncing over to stand next to Dewfern.

“No, but Shinepaw did fall into the river,” the deputy replied.

“Tell us about it!” Lilykit demanded. Russetkit and Stonekit wandered off, looking for something more fun to do, while Ravagekit and his littermates had found the elders and were pestering them for stories about apprentice ceremonies.

Dewfern and Shinepaw explained how, exactly, Shinepaw ended up in the river, and then sent Ripplekit and Lilykit on their way. They walked towards where the older kits and elders were.

Ripplekit’s ears caught snippets of conversations as they walked.

“Alderclaw was very aggressive when we saw him and his patrol,” Frostleaf was telling Sunfall and Lionroar.

“I was on my night hunt last night, and there was rogue scent all over the place near badger rock.” Kinkedpaw and Rainhaze were listening to Tornpelt as she told them about something strange on her hunt.

The kits spent their time running up to sun-high playing and listening to stories. Thorneye meticulously bathed her three kits, making sure every speck of dust was non-existent in their coat.

“Let all cats old enough to swim, gather here beneath the Rockpile for a Clan meeting!”

Stormstar stood at the top of the rocks, his head held high and tail raised like a flag. The cats gravitated, and soon all of RiverClan was gathered.

“Tigerkit,” he began, looking down at the tabby-and-white she-cat. “You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Tigerpaw. Your mentor will be Frostleaf. I hope she will pass down all she knows to you.”

“Frostleaf, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You received excellent training from Shadynose and have shown yourself to be responsible and dedicated. You will be the mentor of Tigerpaw, and I hope you pass all you know on to her.” Frostleaf and Tigerpaw touched noses, and then took their places.

“Ravagekit,” Stormstar said, and the mentioned kit lifted his chin. “You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Ravagepaw. Your mentor will be Redfoot. I hope he will pass all he knows down to you.”

Ripplekit felt a swell of pride in her chest. Her father was mentoring Ravagepaw!

“Redfoot, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You received excellent training from Duckpool and have shown yourself to be warm-hearted and level-headed. You will be the mentor of Ravagepaw, and I hope you pass all you know on to him.” The two toms touched noses, and took their places next to Frostleaf and Tigerpaw.

“Freezekit,” Stormstar addressed the white she-cat, who wiggled excitedly. “You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Freezepaw. Your mentor will be Lionroar. I hope he will pass all he knows down to you.”

“Lionroar, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You received excellent training from Lightningfoot and have shown yourself to be loyal and honorable. You will be the mentor of Freezepaw, and I hope you pass all you know on to her.” Lionroar and Freezepaw touched noses and took their places with the other two mentor and apprentice pairs.

“Apprentice ceremonies are always an inspiring ceremony,” Stormstar said. “Tigerpaw, Ravagepaw, Freezepaw, may you become the warriors RiverClan will need to weather any storm, survive any hardship.”

The voices of the Clan blended together as they chanted: “Tigerpaw! Ravagepaw! Freezepaw!”

Stormstar jumped down from the Rockpile and glanced at the three new pairs. Frostleaf was preparing to show Tigerpaw the borders, while Redfoot had decided on giving Ravagepaw a start on apprentice duties with clearing out their old nursery nest and getting new moss for the other two queens and the kits. Lionroar was leading Freezepaw off to work on battle training.

“Kinkedpaw and Shinepaw need to be warriors soon,” he muttered. “Journey or no journey.”

:::

Ravagepaw followed Redfoot, padding right behind his mentor’s hip. Both of his littermates were following their own mentors, and nearby, Thorneye followed Stormstar, Dewfern, Whitespot, and Dawnheart. The full moon bathed the backs of the cats in a gentle light as they padded well-worn trails and crossed the river.

Four great oaks towered into the sky, placed around a hollow where a large rock sat. SkyClan and WindClan were already there. An orange-eyed tom and a blue tabby she-cat, both with grey around the muzzle, sat together, conversing in quiet tones. Stormstar easily leapt up onto the rock to join them. Dewfern joined Pebbleroll and Fadefur, the WindClan and SkyClan deputies, at the base of the Great Rock while Whitespot and Dawnheart wandered off to the other medicine cats.

“Follow me,” Redfoot said, leading Ravagepaw over to an area where young cats were gathered. Two apprentices from WindClan- a black tom and a chocolate she-cat- were sitting there, along with a grey SkyClan she-cat.

“Hello,” the SkyClan she-cat said. “My name is Brightpaw. Who are you?”

“I’m Ravagepaw,” he replied, and his littermates had followed them over and introduced themselves as well.

“I’m Wolfpaw,” the black WindClan tom said. “This is my sister, Howlingpaw.”

“All three of them are within a moon of their warrior ceremony,” Redfoot explained before turning and padding away to greet some other cats.

“Yeah, it’s a good thing Smokeflight’s kits should become apprentices in the next few days- I don’t want to have to keep up with apprentice duties while a warrior!” Brightpaw said.

“Halfpaw and Twopaw are a while from their ceremony, but it is good that Falconwing’s kits will be apprenticed next moon,” Howlingpaw replied. “What about you, RiverClanners? Any soon-to-be apprentices?”

“Our next apprentices are three moons from now,” Freezepaw replied.

ShadowClan and ThunderClan arrived at almost the same time. The calico leader of ThunderClan and the chocolate mink she-cat leader of ShadowClan easily joined the other three leaders, and gave their warriors time to mingle. A black tom apprentice from ShadowClan and four littermates from ThunderClan joined the group of apprentices. The ShadowClan apprentice was Darkpaw, and of the tall, dark, and silent type. The four ThunderClan apprentices were also new apprentices named Thornpaw, Robinpaw, Dustpaw, and Grasspaw.

“Let the Gathering begin!” Frogstar of ShadowClan called, and the Gathering fell silent. Stormstar stepped to the front of the rock first.

“Tonight, RiverClan brings with us three new apprentices: Tigerpaw, Ravagepaw, and Freezepaw.”

He fell silent while the Gathering chanted their names.

“And Swiftrunner has joined the nursery.” He stepped back, allowing Frogstar forward.

“Mistpaw joins us tonight as Smokespiral’s apprentice,” she said, and paused to wait for the chanting to die down. “Ravenheart has kitted and has four healthy kits: Nightkit, Batkit, Adderkit, and Badgerkit. Darkpaw joins us as an apprentice. ShadowClan is growing strong again.”

The Gathering cheered for the kits, and Sedgestar of WindClan took her place.

“The rabbits are running, but not too fast, and our Clan is strong. Silverrose has joined the nursery.”

He stepped back for Silverstar of SkyClan to take his spot.

“We are strong as well,” she rasped. “Cloudshade has joined the nursery.”

Spottedstar of ThunderClan took the elderly leader’s place. “Tonight, we bring with us four new apprentices: Thornpaw, Robinpaw, Grasspaw, and Dustpaw.” The Gathering chanted their names, and she finished her report and they were allowed to mingle again.

Apart from the apprentices, there was a definite split in which Clan cats mingled with: WindClan and ThunderClan didn’t want to mingle with RiverClan, ShadowClan kept to themselves, and SkyClan mingled with everyone, as always.

Ravagepaw wondered what they did to deserve the looks ThunderClan warriors were giving them.

:::

Ravagepaw had been an apprentice for less than a moon, and he was always busy, but he always made sure to save time for his former denmates. Ripplekit, out of all of them, was the one he spent the most time with. It was the evening after his first Gathering, and he was facing the inquisition.

“What was the Gathering like?” she asked. Lilykit and Stonekit had followed her over, and were nodding enthusiastically.

“Well,” Ravagepaw began, not sure how to go about explaining it. “I met a lot of new cats. I met several other apprentices- some of them will be warriors next time I see them, probably.”

“Which Clan was the weirdest?” Stonekit asked.

“Definitely ThunderClan,” Ravagepaw replied.

Russetkit was still fascinated with the stepping-stones, spending quite a bit of her time looking at them and staring out across the river. If ThunderClan decided to attack the camp, they could take the stepping-stones across, and she had to guard them.

Of course, any smart ThunderClan leader knows that you don’t attack RiverClan from the stepping-stones. You attack them from the sides.

Streameye was the first ThunderClan warrior Ripplekit had ever seen.

“ThunderClan! For ours!”

Ravagepaw was moving, his heart pounding, as soon as he figured out what was happening- he started moving the kits to the nursery, where Mistfall was guarding the entrance with her mate- his mentor. All four kits were in the nursery and accounted for, and Mistfall was scuffling with a flame-point she-cat while a cinnamon tabby tom approached. Ravagepaw snarled and launched himself at the tom, and soon he was joined by Tigerpaw. The littermates tag-teamed the tom, Tigerpaw jumping on top of him and biting down on his neck while Ravagepaw hit the tom’s face over and over.

The tom snarled and rolled, smashing Tigerpaw against the ground and coming up on his paws to turn and knock Ravagepaw away. The chocolate-and-white apprentice hissed at the burning scratches and lunged for the older cat, diving low to try and knock him off his paws. The warrior slammed him away with a solid blow, leaving Ravagepaw reeling while Tigerpaw darted in and raked her claws down the tom’s side.

“Kit-stealers!” Spottedstar’s accusation rang out over even all the fights. “You took our Stonekit!”

“We did no such thing,” Dewfern growled.

“Prove it,” Spottedstar challenged.

“We will if you call off the fighting,” Stormstar snarled, and Spottedstar growled.

“Fine. ThunderClan! Stand down!”

“RiverClan! Disengage!”

The two Clans of cats separated, claw marks and ruffled fur universal on both sides. Stormstar led Spottedstar to the nursery.

“Your kit isn’t here,” he said, as she stuck her head in and looked around. “ _ Our _ Stonekit is here, but yours is not.”

“Then where do you have him?” Spottedstar snarled, her amber glare fixed on the RiverClan leader. She stalked towards him, muscles tense under her fur. Like a tightly-coiled spring, she was ready to lash out and leave pain in her path.

“Nowhere, because we do not have him,” Stormstar replied. His eyes, steady like the smoothly-flowing River, bored into the burning amber of Spottedstar’s. The two leaders stood at an impasse until Spottedstar broke the hush that had fallen over the camp.

“Fine. I will accept your words for now. But if even a whisper of RiverClan scent crosses my border, I will make sure you and your Clan come to regret it,” she snarled.

“My Clan is not a code-breaking Clan,” Stormstar replied as Spottedstar led her warriors from the camp.

“What’s more disturbing than the attack,” Dewfern began, her voice low as she murmured to Stormstar. “Is… Where is Stonekit? And why did they blame us?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ripplekit is the Sole Voice of Reason.  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Leave me a comment letting me know what you thought :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Russetkit does a stupid, Ripplekit also does a stupid, I have a cameo, and we see a plot.  
> Chapter-specific warning: Perceived character death.

Russetkit’s obsession with the stepping-stones only grew from day to day. She would spend all her time on that side of the camp, she would stare at them, and several times she had even tried to start crossing them. Ripplekit and Stonekit could hardly leave their sister alone anymore.

When she wasn’t pining over the stepping-stones, she was learning how to swim in the shallows of the stream with her littermates. Mistfall had taken the responsibility of teaching them that particular skill, which no cat minded at all, given her sheer talent as a swimmer. So while the hot Greenleaf sun beat down on the camp, the four kits churned up the water right next to the camp.

Ripplekit sighed in relief as the cool water soaked into her fur. Her paws dug into the silt and then she pushed off, joining her larger siblings as far out as they were allowed to go. Lilykit preferred to stay closer to the bank, or closer to Mistfall, than any of the others.

Stonekit and Russetkit were water-wrestling, splashing and squealing while Mistfall lurked close by. Lilykit was exploring underwater, diving and coming back up a little ways away with a mouth full of water weed or a pebble or shell.

A hunting patrol was returning, and Rainhaze padded over, his lilac-and-white pelt scuffed with dirt with scraps of greenery clinging to it.

“Wash up, Rainhaze,” Mistfall meowed, mischief twinkling in her green eyes. “You’re being a bad influence.”

“Oh, lighten up,” he replied, not mean-spirited. “They know how important bathing is.” He turned his head to look at the kits. “Keep up the good swimming! You’re doing very well so far.”

“Thank you,” Ripplekit replied. Her siblings echoed her sentiment before returning to play.

Eventually Mistfall ran out of patience with Stonekit and Russetkit’s antics, so she shooed them off for some time while she recharged with Swiftrunner. All the apprentices were off training, and most of the warriors were napping in various shaded areas, so the kits were left to their own devices for the most part. Ripplekit could tell there was almost always some cat’s eye on them.

Russetkit, of course, bounded over to the edge of the camp to where the river splashed against the stepping-stones.

Lilykit sighed. “Not again.”

“Yes, again,” Stonekit replied, following Russetkit. Lilykit and Ripplekit fell into step beside him. “I’m kinda curious, too. You know, all the warriors smell weird after coming back from patrolling along the river.”

“I’d be perfectly happy to never leave RiverClan territory,” Lilykit retorted. “I don’t know what has you so obsessed with invading ThunderClan!”

“Those mange-faces invaded our camp,” Russetkit replied as her littermates joined her on the bank.

“So?” Ripplekit asked. “You can be patient and wait until you’re a warrior and  _ then _ you can invade their camp!”

Russetkit glanced around the camp, her tail beginning to twitch in anticipation. “Betcha can’t catch me.”

With that, she jumped for the first stone, and scrabbled onto it before jumping for the next one.

“Russetkit!” Ripplekit exclaimed, crouching down and wiggling for a jump. Most of the warriors were out of camp, training, hunting, or patrolling, or else having found a quiet spot to curl up and nap. Swiftrunner, Mistfall, Dawnheart, and Sunfall were the only mature cats Ripplekit  _ knew  _ were in the camp. She had a fleeting feeling that she should wait, but she was leaping through the air before she could listen to it.

Russetkit was three stones ahead of Ripplekit. Lilykit had run off. Stonekit was standing and watching, petrified.

Ripplekit made her next leap.

Sunfall was the first cat to the bank. She leapt straight over to the stone before Ripplekit’s, and swiftly grabbed Ripplekit by the scruff and leapt back to shore, depositing the blue kit on the bank.

“Stay put,” she ordered.

Russetkit screamed as her paws missed their mark.

It took Sunfall three leaps to reach the stone Russetkit had fallen off. The cream she-cat dove straight into the River, and her head popped up some ways downstream as she caught a breath before diving back down.

Mistfall and Dawnheart had arrived in the time it took Sunfall to get in the River.

“What. Happened,” Mistfall growled.

“Russetkit went on the stepping stones and I tried to get her to come back,” Ripplekit replied. Her legs were shaking. When did her legs start shaking?

Sunfall returned sometime later. Mistfall perked up from where she had been standing protectively by her kits, but the soaked she-cat’s head hung.

“I’m sorry, Mistfall,” she meowed. “I couldn’t get her.”

“So it begins again,” Mistfall muttered darkly, pulling her remaining kits close.

“I’m really sorry,” Sunfall repeated, but Mistfall cut her off.

“It’s not your fault. I need to keep better watch on my kits,” she meowed, her eyes half-lidded.

:::

“Let all cats old enough to swim, gather here beneath the Rockpile for a Clan meeting!”

Ripplekit bounded out of the nursery before Mistfall could stop her. Ravagepaw, Tigerpaw, and Freezepaw were already sitting together in the entrance to their den. Kinkedpaw and Shinepaw were sitting at the front of the meeting, pelts groomed and no single tuft of fur sticking up.

“Shinepaw, step forward.”

At Stormstar’s command, Shinepaw walked forward as he bounded down the Rockpile to stand in front of her.

“I, Stormstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Shinepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

“I do.”

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Shinepaw, from this moment you will be known as Shinefrost. StarClan honors your caring and dedication, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan.” He rested his muzzle on her forehead, and then she licked his shoulder as the assembled cats chanted her name.

He stepped back and turned to look at Kinkedpaw. “Kinkedpaw, step forward.”

Kinkedpaw walked over to Stormstar.

“I, Stormstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Kinkedpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

“I do.”

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Kinkedpaw, from this moment you will be known as Kinktail. StarClan honors your bravery and honesty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan.” He rested his muzzle on her forehead, and she licked his shoulder and then stepped back to stand by Shinefrost as the Clan cheered their names.

“Finally,” Snowcloud muttered from her position near the elders’ den. “Back in my day we would’ve taken them to Mothermouth come blizzard and fire, no matter what WindClan said.”

“No, we wouldn’t,” Shadynose snapped.

“Where did you think Stormstar learned his diplomacy from?” Burnbrook asked, licking at the cinnamon fur on his paw.

“Kestrelstar was far from a pacifist,” Snowcloud replied.

“But she never got us into any fights unless she couldn’t talk us out of them,” Burnbrook countered.

“Hmph.” Snowcloud turned away from Burnbrook, who flicked his ear.

“Rude,” he muttered.

:::

Ripplekit blinked as she surveyed her new denmates. Five lilac-and-white kits were curled up next to their mother’s belly.

“They’re so small,” she said, blinking again and carefully leaning down to sniff at them. “We were this small once?”

“Every cat was this small once,” Swiftrunner replied, giving Ripplekit’s head an affectionate lick.

“Even Lionroar?” Ripplekit asked.

“Especially Lionroar,” Swiftrunner replied, slowly blinking warm orange eyes. “Before you know it, they’ll be as big as you!”

“I’ll teach them everything I know,” Ripplekit pledged, standing taller.

“They’ll be in good paws with you as a denmate,” Swiftrunner agreed.

:::

A grey tabby she-cat with glowing copper eyes slunk along the riverbank, the tip of her tail twitching. She paused and looked further upstream, squinting to make out details of something. Her eyes widened and she sprang into action, a flurry of movement.

“What’s this?” she asked the air, bending down to nudge a small russet form with her nose.

The little russet she-cat was half-drowned and barely breathing, and the grey she-cat worked, her movements neat and practiced as she started licking russet fur backwards.

That little russet-furred kit would not be dying on her watch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Drop a kudos if you did, and leave a comment letting me know what you thought!  
> With love,  
> Kestrel


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Ripplepaw's apprentice ceremony, all she wishes is that she had a different cat for a mentor. Stormstar has a dream.  
> The plague is coming.  
> Chapter warnings: Some mildly disturbing imagery during the dream sequence. Blood (during the dream sequence).

__

Honestly, Ripplepaw wanted to curl up under a rock somewhere and cease existing.

Out of all the available warriors to have for a mentor, Stormstar had to give her Flamescar!?

“I can hear your thoughts, little. Less thinking, more moss,” the aforementioned Flamescar growled. If he’s speaking, assume growling. He was one of the smaller warriors in the clan, his pelt a ragged grey mess of scars- including one particularly stand-out patch of missing fur on his shoulder. The dark copper of his eyes glowed when rays of sunlight hit them just right.

Ripplepaw had been tasked with gathering moss on her first day as apprentice, while Lilypaw got to go learn the borders and Stonepaw got to learn fishing techniques. If Ripplepaw said she wasn’t jealous, she’d be lying.

The three littermates met up in camp at the end of the day, after the sun was below the horizon, and shared tongues before slinking into the apprentices’ den to sleep. Ravagepaw, Freezepaw, and Tigerpaw had taken some time to assemble nests for their three new denmates, and the younger apprentices meowed their thanks as they curled up for sleep.

Ravagepaw woke the three youngest apprentices up early, before the sun. He meowed an amused greeting or something and left before Ripplepaw was lucid enough to understand him.

That sleep was one of the most solid sleeps Ripplepaw had ever slept. She watched Lilypaw and Stonepaw stretch and yawn, and judged that it was similar for them. Her paws were sore from spending all the day before cutting moss off trees and rocks.

“Uuuuughhh,” Stonepaw groaned, limping out into the clearing. “I hope I don’t have to do anything too hard today.”

“What did I just hear you say?” his mentor, Rainhaze, said as he padded over. Gold eyes squinted with amusement. “You don’t want to do anything too hard today?”

Sunfall, Lilypaw’s mentor, looked accomodating. “Am I to guess that we’ll be trading around tasks today?”

“Well, I’m honestly not sure which new-apprentice task is the hardest,” Rainhaze replied, surveying the three apprentices.

“Well, I’m taking my apprentice to learn the territory today,” Flamescar said, stalking up from behind the other two mentors.

“Moss it is, then!” Rainhaze exclaimed, his ears perking up. “The easiest of the tasks to learn!”

“He’s lying,” Ripplepaw said to Stonepaw, her tone matter-of-fact. “You’ll be bored out of your mind after a while, but if Rainhaze is anything like Flamescar he’ll make you do it until you can do it perfectly in your  **sleep** .”

Flamescar nodded his agreement.

“Yep, in your sleep,” Rainhaze agreed. “Come on, Stonepaw.”

Stonepaw made a disheartened noise and followed Rainhaze, his tail dragging. Lilypaw and Sunfall left to the River to learn fishing techniques, while Ripplepaw and Flamescar joined Frostleaf, Tigerpaw, and Thorneye for dawn patrol.

“We’ll be starting with the ThunderClan border,” Flamescar said, leading the way out of the camp. Russetkit would’ve been excited if she had still been there- the chance to see ThunderClan warriors face-to-face and spit insults at them was something she would’ve jumped to have.

Ripplepaw was thinking about Russetkit less often than she used to- Russetkit was a ghost Ripplepaw used to have trouble escaping. What if she hadn’t followed Russetkit out onto the stones and Sunfall could’ve gotten to Russetkit? What if Ripplepaw had reached Russetkit in time to grab her?

She still had trouble seeing the stepping stones. She’d remember the way Russetkit fell into the water and she’d feel her paws start to freeze up as she thought about what it’d feel like to lose hold and slide into the water and get carried away.

It didn’t happen as much as it used to.

The weather had been cooling off and the leaves on the trees had turned bright yellows and oranges and reds. Leaf-bare was coming- Ripplepaw had been listening to the warriors discussing the coming leaf-bare, hoping that there would be no mass starvation that year.

Ripplepaw was not looking forward to leaf-bare at all.

The rest of the patrol froze, and Ripplepaw followed suit. A group of cats had appeared on the other side of the River- ThunderClan warriors!

There were only two of them, a brown tabby and a cinnamon tabby. Frostleaf cautiously raised her tail in greeting, and the cinnamon tabby raised theirs in return before leading the smaller brown tabby back into the forest.

“That was Flameheart and Grasspaw,” Frostleaf told Ripplepaw. “You’ll probably meet them at a Gathering at some point.”

“Flameheart’s an honorable warrior,” Flamescar said.

The rest of the patrol passed without incident, and Ripplepaw returned to camp sore and tired. Stonepaw was already there eating a fish and looking miffed- his fur still had scraps of moss and leaves in it.

“Did you have fun?” Ripplepaw asked, selecting a small fish from the pile. Stonepaw growled in her general direction.

“It was the worst. Thing. Ever,” he grumbled, shifting a little.

“Get used to it,” Tigerpaw said, settling near them with her own fish. “You’ll be doing a lot more of it before your apprenticeship’s up.”

“I know,” Stonepaw grumbled.

Freezepaw was the last apprentice to return to camp. Lilypaw and Ravagepaw had arrived close together, Ravagepaw almost holding a tired Lilypaw up.

“I don’t really wanna be a warrior,” Lilypaw said, poking at her fish with a claw.

“Maybe Whitespot will bite it while you’re still an apprentice and you could be a medicine cat,” Tigerpaw said, pausing in her washing of Ripplepaw’s ears.

“That’s not a very nice thing to think about,” Lilypaw murmured before taking a bite of her fish. “Maybe I could just be a nursery queen.”

“That’s a possibility. Or, Whitespot dies sometime before your apprenticeship is up and you become a medicine cat,” Tigerpaw replied.

“Full warriors can become medicine cats, though,” Ripplepaw said. “It’s happened before.”

“That is true,” Lilypaw agreed. “So maybe I’ll be a medicine cat.”

:::

Stormstar slunk across the moor. He hadn’t talked to WindClan prior to his trip to Mothermouth, and he traveled alone.

It had been over six moons since the medicine cats had returned with the prophecy and he had expected things to start happening already. The tension between his clan and ThunderClan and WindClan wasn’t abnormal- there was constantly two or more Clans upset with each other at a time for whatever reason they decided on.

The truth was, Stormstar was worried and tense and waiting for the worst to happen. He didn’t hear the whispers Whitespot claimed to hear no matter where he went. He hadn’t received any dreams other than the usual, nothing to indicate there was strife of prophetic levels approaching.

He made it across the territory without being found out, and made it to Mothermouth without incident. He reached the Moonstone, and lay down with his nose against it to wait for the moonlight to hit it.

He didn’t need to wait long. The shaft of light hit it, and he fell into dreams.

He fell from the sky, wind whipping through his fur and stinging his skin. The stars were so bright and intense as he dropped toward the ground below- ground that stretched on forever, and he could maybe tell the little slice where the Clans made their home.

He dropped into the river, the water exploding into bubbles around him as he shot straight to the silt at the bottom. Mud covered his paws as he struggled to right himself without any air in his lungs- the impact with the water had driven it all out.

Cold air filled his lungs, and he was standing, dripping wet, by the River- except it wasn’t the River.

Or, it was, but it didn’t run with water.

A grey tabby rose from the depths of the River, the blood it ran with flowing off her fur as though her fur was hydrophobic. She floated in the air and opened her eyes, chips of amber gem where optic tissue should be.

A gust of storm wind blew the grey tabby into dust, and he turned to see a blue moon rise and bathe the landscape in cold white.

A shiver stood his fur on end.

_ The plague is coming. The plague is here. _

The whisper, insidious, wove its way into Stormstar’s mind. It was the timbre of a thousand yowls with the quiet of a thousand murmured pleas- stay, live, don’t leave, save us, StarClan help us, StarClan deliver us.

Solid ground dropped away from his paws, but he didn’t move. The ground moved away from him. As it fell, it moved so that he was suspended above Fourtrees, above the Greatrock.

_ The plague is coming. _

Fourtrees was filled with cats- every pelt color, every Clan, even the Clanless. It was filled with cats, and Stormstar hung there, suspended between the horde of cats and the cold blue moon above.

_ The plague is HERE _

The River of blood reached with winding, dripping, thick tendrils of dark crimson liquid. It wrapped around his legs. It wrapped around his middle. It pulled, and pulled, until he sank beneath its surface, the spilt lives filling his nose and eyes and ears and mouth and he could no longer breathe and he knew.

He would not live through the coming strife. He did not know if his Clan- if any of the Clans- would survive the coming strife.

Because only one can drive out the poison- the prophecy never said the one would.

Stormstar woke, and retched.

:::

“We need to drive those rogues out of our territory,” Stormstar growled to Dewfern the moment she approached him.

“As far as we can tell, they don’t actually live on our territory,” Dewfern said, her tail slowly swishing with worry.

“If you catch any of them on our territory, you don’t let them leave,” he snarled. “Pass it on. We cannot allow the rogues to root themselves in our territories any longer.”

“Did your dreams tell you this?” Dewfern asked.

Stormstar huffed, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. “I’m making an educated guess as to what they mean. Fetch the mentors for me, I don’t care what they’re doing, just get them to me.”

Dewfern hastened off to find the mentors and to inform the senior warriors of his new orders.

Redfoot was the first of the mentors to find Stormstar. His red fur was dark with water, and there was a weed draped around one of his ears.

“You have Dewfern thoroughly worked up,” the younger tom greeted, his voice cautious.

“There’s plenty to be worked up about,” Stormstar replied.

“They weren’t good dreams, then,” Redfoot said, his tail flick the only outward sign of his unease.

Once all of the mentors were gathered, Stormstar spoke.

“You need to push training. There’s something bad, something very, very bad coming and we need to be ready for it.”

“Do you know what’s coming?” Sunfall asked, shifting her paws. Her golden eyes were bright with anxiety.

“Only that it’s potentially catastrophic,” Stormstar replied. “Don’t worry your apprentices, but do push it because we must be ready to face what is coming.”

The younger mentors left, and Stormstar and Redfoot remained sitting together in their sheltered alcove. The voices of the Clan communicating with each other drifted over to them, although they were unable to make out any words.

Two worried, blue-eyed gazes met and then glanced away as Redfoot stood and walked over and settled down next to Stormstar.

“We must have faith our Clan will make it through this,” he said, his flank brushing Stormstar’s. “Even if we don’t, some of our clanmates will. Someone will survive this. And even if the Clans fall, if just a few Clan cats survive, the Clans can be rebuilt.”

Stormstar was silent for several long moments.

“Thank you, Redfoot,” he said. “Although I can’t help the feeling that this may be the sunset of the Clans.”

The two toms fell silent. What could you offer in response to that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Happy holidays to everyone :)  
> I had a good Christmas, met my cousin's fiance, and I enjoyed staying with my family although I am more than ready to go back to where my tablet is and my computer.  
> Leave a kudos and a comment telling me what you thought!  
> With love,  
> Kestrel


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RiverClan was too comfortable.  
> Chapter Warnings: Mild violence, character death

Ripplepaw felt like she was finally falling into the rhythm of apprenticeship- wake up too early and go to sleep too late, spending the whole day on her paws, working hard.

Stonepaw slammed a large paw into her shoulder and sent her sprawling. She scrambled to her paws and tried to shake herself back into the game.

“Come on, Stonepaw, press your advantage while she’s out of it!” Rainhaze yowled from where he and Flamescar were observing. Stonepaw listened and caught Ripplepaw while she was still bringing her guard back up.

“Ripplepaw, get yourself together!” Flamescar snapped.

Ripplepaw was pinned under Stonepaw, which was a familiar feeling. Her larger brother relied quite a bit on the advantage his size gave him.

Ripplepaw shoved her paw into his throat, and he gagged and she wriggled out from under him.

“There you go!” Flamescar said. “Press it!”

Ripplepaw lunged for Stonepaw, and he leaped back. They locked together, and Ripplepaw ducked her chin close to her throat and curled her spine and started kicking with her hindpaws while gripping with her forepaws.

“Well,” Flamescar said, looking mildly satisfied. “You certainly have  **that** move down.”

Ripplepaw and Stonepaw staggered away from each other, panting. Their breath fogged in the chilly air.

“Anyone you fight won’t know what hit them,” Stonepaw said, proud of his sister.

“Everyone’ll be terrified to fight the great Stonepaw once he’s all grown up,” Ripplepaw replied. Their breathy voices were visible as little plumes of white from their mouths- the weather was already chilled and cold.

“Alright you two, enough socializing, at it again,” Flamescar barked out, and the two littermates looked over at their mentors, resigned dismay in their eyes.

“I am so exhausted,” Stonepaw grumbled, looking back towards Ripplepaw as she dropped into a crouch. He mimicked her motions, and they circled each other for a couple moments until Ripplepaw made the first move, darting in to strike at Stonepaw’s face before leaping back and away from him. He flinched back when she lunged, and shook his head when she retreated from him. His expression was baffled.

“You are so fast,” he muttered, and her tail curled with laughter.

“Come on, at it!” Rainhaze said, flicking the tip of his tail.

Stonepaw and Ripplepaw looked at each other with commiseration in their eyes, and returned to their circling.

 

“I think you’re having us push our apprentices too far,” Flamescar said, pinning Stormstar in his hard copper gaze. “Ripplepaw is dead tired, and the rest of the apprentices are in similar states.”

“Flamescar, you do realize that if you are mentoring an apprentice, you can make the final decisions in how fast to push them, correct?” Stormstar asked, eyeing the younger tom as if he couldn’t quite believe Flamescar was actually acting the way he was.

“You… did tell us to push training as hard as we could,” Flamescar replied, his expression baffled.

“Don’t do it at the expense of your apprentice’s health,” Stormstar said, sighing. “That should be  **obvious** .”

“Okay,” Flamescar replied, still looking slightly baffled. “I’ll… pass on the message.”

“You do that,” Stormstar said, watching Flamescar walk off. Lightsky walked over, pausing and looking at Flamescar before continuing over to Stormstar. The sun made her white fur bright, and the look in his blue eyes softened as he drank in her appearance.

“What was he doing?” she asked, sitting down and curling her tail around his hindquarters.

“Apparently the mentors don’t quite understand that you’re not supposed to sacrifice apprentice health for expedited training,” he replied. At her expression, he continued, “yeah, I’m confused too.”

Her breath left her nose in a little whuff of amusement. “Well. At least it’s nothing  **too** bad.”

“Too bad?” Stormstar asked, looking at her with amusement twinkling in his eyes, belying his affronted words. “Imagine what would happen if our apprentices were too tired to clean the elders’s nests!”

Lightsky shuddered. “Oh Great StarClan, we would  **never** hear the end of it from Snowcloud.”

 

The apprentices actually had an easy day. They had been tasked with replacing the bedding in the elders’s den and nursery, and given some light battle training before being released to share tongues and nap and whatever else they wanted to do. The sun was sinking below the horizon. Voices drifted in the air as the members of RiverClan shared the day’s stories while winding down for sleep.

Ripplepaw was asleep. She had curled up next to Lilypaw while it was still light out, and she was still curled up next to her sister. Lilypaw, for her part, had spent that time resting and just existing. She enjoyed letting the camp’s activities surround her.

Ravagepaw and Tigerpaw’s loud voices roused Ripplepaw, who lifted her head and blinked bleary green eyes around. Her dark ears twitched as she oriented herself in the land of wakefulness. The warriors were gradually retreating into their den, while the queens and kits had already retired within the nursery. Stormstar and the senior warriors were collected over in their usual corner of camp, and they were either discussing the end of the world as they knew it or placing bets on who would be having kits next.

RiverClan was relaxed and comfortable.

The universe took that as an insult.

Small, lithe warriors burst into the camp, startling RiverClan into action.

“WindClan!” Thorneye screamed, her odd-colored eyes narrowing as she launched herself onto the nearest WindClan warrior, a lilac she-cat. The two she-cats tussled, hindlegs churning and claws raking at the fur of their opponent.

Ripplepaw was on her paws within moments, all fatigue lost in a burst of adrenaline and  **panic** . A large- for WindClan- lilac tom with menacing orange eyes was bearing down on the group of apprentices. Lilypaw was cowering behind her sister, while Tigerpaw yowled and charged the WindClan warrior, matched stride-for-stride by Ravagepaw.

Freezepaw and Stonepaw where nowhere to be found, and three older WindClan apprentices were approaching Ripplepaw and Lilypaw.

Ripplepaw was terrified. Her veins sang with her terror and her heart pounded and she felt a tugging that told her to  **run** .

So she ran.

She ran, her paws pounding against the ground and the wind teasing her fur.

She ran, and jumped, her claws digging into seal mink fur and attaching her firmly to the shoulders of the WindClan apprentice she selected.

With matching yowls, the two she-cats went to the ground, grappling with each other. Ripplepaw kicked her hind legs in blind terror. Her paws made solid hits on the forehead of the apprentice under her, and she shot a blind thanks to StarClan for mentors that drilled battle moves over and over and over again.

The two apprentices sprung apart, and Ripplepaw was turned to view her opponent. She had left bleeding scratches on her opponent’s face, perilously close to one turquoise eye.

They only circled for a moment, and then Ripplepaw launched herself at the other again. Claws found purchase in shoulders, and hindlegs battered, and they bit for each other’s necks. Ripplepaw’s size advantage probably saved her life as she held her opponent down and smacked a paw across the other’s face, this time getting the eye she had almost injured before.

Her opponent screamed, and Ripplepaw let her go to run off. Nearby, Shinefrost was escaping from a blue tabby’s grip while Lightsky and a black-and-white WindClan warrior circled each other.

Ripplepaw’s gaze caught a confrontation by the River- Freezepaw was pinned by a black WindClan tom, and Ripplepaw didn’t think anymore.

She just ran.

She slammed into the black tom’s side, and the both landed in the River. He scrambled to find purchase, spluttering, but Ripplepaw was already on her paws and driving him further into the current.

He lunged, and couldn’t touch the bottom anymore. His flailing paws sent water splashing into Ripplepaw’s eyes, and she had to clear them for a moment. He was already going under.

He was going to drown.

**Russetkit.**

Ripplepaw couldn’t let him drown.

She dove into the current. This was her element. Her teeth sank into his scruff, and her paws churned the water as she dragged him towards the shore. His paws found purchase, and he scrambled onto dry ground, hacking and panting and shaking. She stepped out of the River, and he looked at her with conflicting emotions churning in his green eyes.

Thankfulness. Terror. Panic. Exhaustion.

Around the camp, the battle had calmed and the two Clans seemed to have withdrawn from each other.

“Filthy prey-thieves and trespassers,” spat the large tom Ravagepaw and Tigerpaw had fought. “It’s not enough you come to our territory and steal our prey, you kill our  **leader** as well?”

“You attacked us!” Shinefrost protested. “We have done nothing to you!”

“You have-“

“That is enough, Strongheart,” a wiry lilac tom with copper eyes snapped, striding to the front of his Clan. Each paw was placed with purpose and he exuded calm, in spite of the scratches on his face and the ruffled fur on his shoulders. “Our Clans have taken enough from each other this night. Or have you not noticed that their medicine cat lays dead?  **Which** of my warriors was  **dishonorable** enough to kill another Clan’s medicine cat? Step forward.”

“He wasn’t killed by one of yours,” Dawnheart said softly, padding towards the WindClan warrior. “A rogue slipped in with your battle party. It is not WindClan blood on his claws, and not WindClan scent on his body.”

A seal mink tom slipped forward from the WindClan side of the clearing.

“The fur between Sedgestar’s claws doesn’t smell of RiverClan, either,” he said. The lilac warrior sighed.

“I believe it would be safe to speculate that we have been set against each other,” he said, turning his head to look at Stormstar, who had stepped to the front. “It would be easy enough for rogues to frame RiverClan for prey-stealing- we hardly know the scent of each of your warriors.”

“I can assure you, not a single member of my Clan has stolen WindClan prey,” Stormstar replied, his expression unreadable.

The WindClan tom dipped his head. “I… apologize for tonight. If we had spoken first, we could’ve avoided this.”

“It would’ve happened sooner or later,” Stormstar said. “Forces are moving in the world.”

“Indeed they are,” the WindClan tom murmured. “We’ll take our leave now.”

“May StarClan light your path, Pebbleroll,” Stormstar said. “I will see you on Great Rock at the full moon.”

Pebbleroll dipped his head, and WindClan withdrew. The black tom threw one last glance in Ripplepaw’s direction before vanishing into the night. Ripplepaw withdrew to the apprentices den, which was quiet in the aftermath.

Lilypaw was curled tightly in one corner of the den, refusing to speak. Freezepaw and Stonepaw were in the medicine den, and Tigerpaw and Ravagepaw were curled up together.

Despite the exhaustion that crawled deep into her bones, Ripplepaw didn’t sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Poor Whitespot :( he did not deserve this  
> Anyways, thank you for reading and leave me a comment letting me know what you thought!  
> With love,  
> Kestrel


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: some violence, hunger and starvation, death mention.  
> The chapter in which we get some ShadowClan POV, and some warriors get their names.

Ripplepaw was unsurprised when, within a few sunrises of the fight, Lilypaw was announced as Dawnheart’s apprentice.

“Okay, but what if there could be multiple medicine cat apprentices at a time?” Ripplepaw speculated after Lilypaw told her. Her sister looked at her with quizzical green eyes. “Think about it- it means that it would be less likely for a Clan to be left without a medicine cat. Also, I heard Whitespot complaining enough about how much work it was.”

“Well, you make sense,” Lilypaw replied, flicking an ear. “But that’s just not how it’s done.” Maybe that wasn’t just how it should be done anymore, but Ripplepaw held her tongue. She was just an apprentice.

Both Lilypaw and Ripplepaw ended up being chosen to attend that moon’s Gathering. Tigerpaw was also selected, and she attached herself to Ripplepaw. Their fur brushed together, chocolate and blue. Their Clanmates pressed around them. No one wanted to be the straggler.

WindClan and SkyClan were both at Four Trees when RiverClan arrived. Pebblestar and Silverstar were both up on Great Rock, and Stormstar joined them. Dawnheart led Lilypaw over to where Juniperleaf and Dartbird were sitting, and Ripplepaw watched them for a moment as Lilypaw was introduced.

None of the three apprentices who had participated in the attack on RiverClan were there that night. There was Morningpaw, a lilac tabby she-cat with hazel eyes, Hoppaw, a blue tabby she-cat with green eyes, and Seedpaw, a lilac tom with hazel eyes. They were cautiously courteous with Tigerpaw and Ripplepaw. Squirrelpaw, a brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, was the only apprentice from SkyClan, and she broke the tension.

“Hi again Tigerpaw!” she said, standing and greeting the older RiverClan she-cat. Tigerpaw returned the greeting, settling down next to Squirrelpaw and conversing with the younger she-cat. Ripplepaw was left with the cautious gazes of the three WindClan apprentices.

“You’re the one who took Heatherpaw’s eye,” Hoppaw said, squinting at Ripplepaw. Ripplepaw, for her part, felt completely debased. What sort of conversation starter was that?

“Um, yes?” she said, her tail tip twitching.

“We know it wasn’t personal,” Morningpaw said, flicking an ear dismissively. “Heatherpaw’s declared you as her archenemy, though, so you better watch out.”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” Ripplepaw replied. She let her gaze wander, until it landed on the black tom she had driven into and pulled from the river. His head turned, and their green gazes met. She looked away first.

ThunderClan and ShadowClan arrived at almost the same time, and Frogstar called the Gathering to order.

“ShadowClan is doing well this moon. We chased a family of rogues from our territory- they ran for Clanless land. Our apprentices are progressing well.” She stepped back and sat down, curling her tail over her paws. Stormstar stepped forward.

“I am saddened to report that Whitespot has joined StarClan. Lilypaw is Dawnheart’s apprentice- we wish her luck in her new path. Mistfall has rejoined the nursery.”

Spottedstar stepped forward. “There has been increased rogue scent on our Clanless border- perhaps those rogues ShadowClan drove off?- and Doepool has kitted five healthy kits.”

Silverstar took Spottedstar’s spot. “Our prey runs well, for it being the middle of Leafbare.”

It was Pebblestar’s turn to speak. “As you can see, Sedgestar is no longer with us. I will do my best to be a worthy successor and prove his trust in me true. I have selected Moorwind as my deputy. Dustgaze as well walks with StarClan now. In happier news, Breezyswift has joined the nursery.”

With the official part of the Gathering over, the cats dispersed to chat with each other. The black WindClan tom took the chance to walk over to Ripplepaw.

“I wanted to thank you for not letting me drown,” he said, and Ripplepaw felt heat rise to her face. She wasn’t completely naïve- she knew when a good-looking cat walked by. The WindClan tom for his part was on the prettier, graceful side of handsome, with long legs and a graceful tail.

Ripplepaw’s thoughts flashed to Russetkit for a moment. “I couldn’t live with myself if I stood by and let a cat drown.”

“And here I thought I was just special,” he teased, and Ripplepaw felt her heart flutter. “My name is Wolflight, by the way. What’s yours?”

“Ripplepaw,” she replied.

“She’s Heatherpaw’s archenemy,” Hoppaw helpfully added.

Wolflight’s tail twitched in amusement. “Well, you’ve got spunk, I’ll give you that.”

“I don’t have spunk, I have terror and panic,” Ripplepaw blurted out before she could stop it. Wolflight chirruped with laughter.

“That is entirely too accurate,” he replied. “I’ll see you around?”

“Probably,” Ripplepaw replied, and he turned and walked off.

 

Wolflight lingered in Ripplepaw’s mind. He wasn’t a constant thought, but occasionally her internal commentary would turn in his direction.

It was a little after the half-moon, Lilypaw still couldn’t stop talking about how at home she felt with the other medicine cats, and Ripplepaw was on a patrol with Ravagepaw, Flamescar, Redfoot, and Shinefrost. The five RiverClan cats padded along their border with SkyClan while snow fell gently from the sky. There was still a light dusting from the last snow, and the older cats had been muttering and wondering when the bad storms would be picking up.

Tigerpaw had been lurking right behind Ripplepaw the whole patrol.

“I feel off,” she said, her tail twitching. “I don’t like this feeling.”

“I don’t like you  **stalking** me,” Ripplepaw retorted. “Stop following me so closely.”

Tigerpaw backed off, although she still was a little closer to Ripplepaw than the blue she-cat was comfortable with.

Later, Ripplepaw would wonder if Tigerpaw could see the future or something.

They continued along the border, stopping to mark it as they went, when the wind changed and the patrol caught a foreign scent.

The six rogues attacking them had figured out their cover was blown.

Ripplepaw was tackled by a grey-and-white tom who looked only a moon or two older than her, for all that he was absolutely huge.

StarClan help her, she was going to die.

Or maybe not, because Redfoot slammed into the rogue’s side and started absolutely mauling the younger tom, leaving Ripplepaw free to tag-team the grey tabby tom and grey she-cat alongside Tigerpaw.

Tigerpaw was not feeling merciful- her blows were strong and her claws dug deep, shredding the tom’s ear. Ripplepaw went for the she-cat’s eyes. If it worked, why not use it?

The skirmish was short and bloody, leaving the five Clan cats slightly stunned. Flamescar was limping, Shinefrost had a long scratch along her side, and Ripplepaw’s tail ached where it had been chomped on.

“Well,” Flamescar said, hissing as he put too much weight on his injured paw. “The rogues are getting a little bolder.”

“Stating the obvious, much?” Shinefrost replied, licking at her side. Flamescar flicked his tail in a dismissive manner.

“Well, someone’s gotta do it,” he said.

:::

Snagbranch of ShadowClan hadn’t slept easy for many nights. She could hear the coughing from the medicine den, and the voices of hungry kits followed her into sleep. Darkflit’s kits barely played anymore- they were hungry, and Darkflit herself was terrified of one of them catching the cough.

Their deputy was sick. She wasn’t supposed to know it, but Frogstar had lost two lives within the past moon- both to hunger. Snakehiss did her best to get her sister to eat, but when it came down to hungry kits or hungry Frogstar, Frogstar would always choose to go hungry instead of letting the kits be hungry. One of the apprentices and two of the warriors had also recently been confined to the medicine den.

“What did we do to piss off StarClan this bad,” Pinewhisker muttered, her striped tail flicking and orange eyes glowing with bitterness. Snagbranch sighed, her own lighter striped tail flicking in sympathy.

“I hope they’re not pre-emptively punishing us for our future sins,” she murmured.

Thornstripe scoffed. “We have done  **nothing** wrong. If they are punishing us, they’ve broken faith for taking the wrongs of the ancestors to be the wrongs of the descendants.”

“When did you go all philosophical on us?” Pinewhisker asked.

“Since Frogstar’s sister is my mate,” Thornstripe replied.

He had been spending less time with said mate and their kits and more time with his sisters. The three tabbies- all varying shades of brown- were padding through the pine-forested part of their territory, hunting. Their efforts were most likely in vain, but if they managed to bring back at least one or two pieces of prey, it would be worth it.

:::

Lightningfoot moved to the elders’ den. Ravagestorm, Freezebrook, and Tigerspirit spent their warrior ceremony vigil getting snowed on, while every sound prompted a flinch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!  
> leave a kudos and review if you enjoyed :)  
> with love,  
> Kestrel


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> warnings for this chapter: starvation and hunger, sickness, implied/stated abuse  
> some more ShadowClan in this chapter

“There are finally small minions to do bedding chores,” Stonepaw sighed.

Ripplepaw and Stonepaw were walking along the frozen River, taking a short break from hunting. The frozen ground crunched under their paws. Occasionally, creaking could be heard from the ice on the River.

“It’ll be good to have more company in the den again,” Ripplepaw added.

“It’ll be warmer,” Stonepaw agreed.

Cloudfur and Swiftrunner’s kits Duskpaw, Minnowpaw, Pebblepaw, Oakpaw, and Willowpaw had been made apprentices earlier that day. The two older apprentices had joined Duskpaw, Thorneye, Minnowpaw, and Dewfern for the first part of the new apprentices’ border-showing and had then split off to do some solo hunting. Their mentors were probably following them, using the time as an informal assessment.

The two littermates returned to camp later that day with a vole and a dove between them. It wouldn’t be the first day they had skipped a meal, and it wouldn’t be the last.

Besides, when they returned, Mistfall was kitting. Lilypaw would be in there helping deliver her siblings.

“We should save the dove for Lilypaw and Dawnheart,” Ripplepaw murmured, her muzzle close to Stonepaw’s ear.

“Right,” he said. “I’ll take this to the elders’ den, then.”

He padded off, the vole in his mouth, and Ripplepaw felt a brief flash of longing for the warmth of a body near hers.

It was almost like Ravagestorm heard her thoughts, because he padded over.

“Your den’s going to be more crowded than it ever was with us in it.” They brushed against each other in greeting before he continued speaking. “At least it’ll be warmer.”

“Funny,” Ripplepaw remarked. “That’s what Stonepaw said.”

“Well, Stonepaw’s pretty intelligent,” Ravagestorm replied. Ripplepaw nodded.

“I know; he’s  **my** littermate,” she said, warmth swelling in her chest.

By the time the watery Leafbare sun set, Ripplepaw, Lilypaw, and Stonepaw had four siblings- Redfoot beckoned Ripplepaw and Stonepaw into see them, while Dawnheart left the nursery.

“Stonepaw and I saved this for you and Lilypaw,” Ripplepaw said to Dawnheart while gesturing to the dove with her tail.

“Thank you,” Dawnheart replied.

The inside of the nursery wasn’t as cold as the outside, which honestly wasn’t saying much. Redfoot was sitting against Mistfall’s back while Mistfall was curled around their four kits.

“This is Songkit,” Redfoot said, pointing with his tail to a little fawn she-cat with stripes on her tail. “Scorchkit.” A cinnamon tom with a darker tail. “Heronkit.” A little lilac she-cat with a striped tail. “And Mintkit.” A little blue-furred she-cat.

“I keep forgetting how tiny they are when they’re first kitted,” Ripplepaw murmured, feeling Stonepaw’s rumble of agreement from where he was pressed to her side.

“It’s hard to believe we were ever that small,” he added, leaning in close to sniff at Scorchkit. “Are they warm enough?”

Mistfall purred. “You’re welcome to help me keep them warm.”

Ripplepaw and Stonepaw moved to curl up with their mother and new siblings. Lilypaw was already asleep next to Redfoot. The family slept together that night, peaceful and undisturbed.

:::

No one slept undisturbed in the ShadowClan camp anymore.

Frogstar was sitting next to one of the pine trees that encircled her camp, listening to the wind hiss through the needles. The camp was mostly sheltered from the chill wind, but a layer of frost covered everything. The ground was frozen solid, and not a single cat in the Clan had eaten their fill for more than a moon.

Especially Frogstar. She had multiple lives to give. Her Clanmates did not.

Snakehiss stalked over, a thin mouse in her jaws and her chocolate fur fluffed against the cold. She set the mouse at Frogstar’s paws and began to speak.

“Everyone’s already eaten,” she said. “We may not be full, but I’m not watching you lose another life to starvation.”

Frogstar sighed. “When did I deserve a sister like you?”

“What, mean and cranky and bossy? I’m pretty sure I should be asking what I did to deserve you as a sister. Now, eat your damn mouse before I make you,” Snakehiss replied, narrowing yellow eyes at her sister.

Frogstar ate. With her sister there demanding, how could she disobey?

“Are you happy now?” she asked when she finished.

“I’m never happy,” Snakehiss replied.

They sat without speaking for several moments.

“I’m thinking of sending Mistpaw to RiverClan to ask for catmint,” Frogstar said.

“RiverClan would definitely share. Do you know if they’ve been struck by the greencough?” Snakehiss asked.

“I don’t think so, but Stormstar would hardly announce it at a Gathering if they were,” Frogstar replied, flicking her tail.

As if cued, someone coughed in the medicine den. It was a wet, hacking sound.

“I hate to voice it, but I don’t think Batpaw has very long,” Snakehiss murmured, grief tinging her voice.

“If we don’t get rid of the sickness or the hunger, I don’t think any of us will have very long,” Frogstar responded. Her gaze grew distant as she thought. “I’ll have Smokespiral send Mistpaw in the morning. Let us hope StarClan is feeling merciful.”

“When has StarClan  **ever** felt merciful towards us,” Snakehiss growled, glaring at the clouded sky. Frogstar sighed. She would never voice it, but she shared her sister’s sentiment.

:::

Thorneye, Flamescar, Duskpaw, and Ripplepaw were the members of the patrol that found Mistpaw of ShadowClan on their territory. Flamescar was the first to recognize the small black tom with the gold eyes, and he gestured with his tail for the rest of the patrol to stand down.

“What brings the ShadowClan medicine cat apprentice to our territory?” he asked, and Mistpaw dipped his head in respect.

“Frogstar and Smokespiral have sent me to speak with Dawnheart,” he replied.

“And why do you need to speak with our medicine cat?” Flamescar asked, his tail flicking and narrowed eyes scrutinizing the younger cat.

“We have greencough in our camp, and no catmint with which to treat it,” Mistpaw replied. “I hoped to request help from Dawnheart- RiverClan has shared herbs with us in the past, as Frogstar and Smokespiral have told me.”

Flamescar paused. “That is true. Ripplepaw, take him back to camp. We’ll finish the patrol.”

Ripplepaw dipped her head to Flamescar, and then turned to Mistpaw.

“Follow me,” she said, beckoning with her tail and beginning to take the quickest way back to camp. Mistpaw followed her, and occasionally she had to slow her pace so that the skinny tom could keep up.

And he was  **skinny** . She could see his ribs through his thin, ratty coat.

“I don’t mean to be presumptuous,” she said, eyeing him, “but if it’s cleared by Stormstar, I’m sure herbs aren’t the only things we can spare.”

“We don’t need your pity,” Mistpaw replied, his ears lowering as he eyed her cautiously.

“It’s not pity,” Ripplepaw replied, rolling her eyes. “We’d be awfully sorry warriors if we let another Clan starve to death.”

“We’re not  **starving** ,” Mistpaw replied, jerking back, affronted.

“Then why are you so skinny I could count your ribs?” Ripplepaw asked, flicking an ear.

“Okay, so we’re a little hungry, but that’s just how Leafbare goes,” he replied, huffing.

Ripplepaw rolled her eyes. “Alright, whatever. Please don’t starve to death, though.”

“I’ll try not to,” Mistpaw bit back.

The two apprentices were met by Sunfall standing guard at the entrance to the camp. Her golden eyes were curious as she addressed Ripplepaw.

“Why do you have a ShadowClan apprentice with you?” she asked, flicking one cream-colored ear and tilting her head with curiosity.

“He’s the medicine cat apprentice,” Ripplepaw replied. “He wants to ask Dawnheart for catmint.”

Sunfall nodded. “Okay. Make sure you speak with both Stormstar and Dawnheart.”

“I will,” Ripplepaw replied, and Sunfall stepped aside to allow the two into camp. It didn’t take long for them to find Stormstar sharing tongues with Lightsky, and Ripplepaw felt her stomach turn over as he fixed her with inquiring blue eyes.

“Mistpaw’s been sent to request herbs from Dawnheart,” Ripplepaw said. “Flamescar had me escort him to camp.”

“Very well,” Stormstar said, acknowledging Mistpaw with a shallow nod of his head. “Dawnheart and Lilypaw were both in the medicine den, last I was aware of.”

“Thank you,” Ripplepaw replied, and she led Mistpaw over to the medicine den, where she could hear Dawnheart instructing Lilypaw on strategies for caring for herb patches over Leafbare. “Dawnheart?” Ripplepaw called, and she heard the two move within as they walked to the entrance of the den.

“Yes Ripplepaw?” Dawnheart asked, sticking her head out, and then doing a double take as she saw Mistpaw. “Mistpaw? What are you doing in our camp?”

“I came to ask if you have any catmint you could spare ShadowClan,” he said, dipping his head and scuffing one of his paws on the ground.

“Of course!” Dawnheart replied, her hazel eyes wide and sympathetic. “Ripplepaw, I might ask you to help Mistpaw back to his camp, stick around, please.” The three medicine cats vanished into the depths of the den, leaving Ripplepaw to stand and shift her weight from side-to-side outside the entrance. Eventually they reappeared, the two apprentices carrying packets of herbs. Lilypaw passed her packet to Ripplepaw, who took it in her teeth. She was careful- the herbs were important. ShadowClan couldn’t afford to have any damaged.

“Travel safe,” Dawnheart told them, waving them off with her tail.

Ripplepaw led the way through RiverClan territory. She crossed the River first, patiently showing Mistpaw the most sure way of jumping from one fallen tree to the other. After they crossed the River, Mistpaw took the lead.

Ripplepaw had never seen the Thunderpath before- the smooth expanse of hard black surface, covered in hard-packed snow, was awe-inspiring. It was hardly beautiful, but that it existed? It was something she had never seen before. She let Mistpaw lead her. He knew the Thunderpath, better than she would ever hope to.

The frozen marsh they crossed into was quiet, like the dawn just before the camp awoke. There was a pine forest a little ways into the distance- the ShadowClan camp was at the edge of this forest, tucked into the trees and out of what would surely be damp and soggy when the thaw came.

All the ShadowClan cats were skinny like Mistpaw, and they all eyed Ripplepaw with suspicion. She ducked her head and followed close behind him. A brown tabby tom with copper eyes slunk out of the shadows to meet them.

“Mistpaw,” he greeted. The apprentice gently set down the herbs.

“Smokespiral,” he replied, greeting his mentor with a touch of their noses. “This is Ripplepaw. She helped me carry the catmint here.”

“Well, I am grateful for your assistance,” Smokespiral said, turning his gaze onto her. “Let Dawnheart know of our continued gratitude.”

Ripplepaw set down the packet of herbs. “I will,” she replied, dipping her head in respect.

Smokespiral turned to where a fawn tabby she-cat was sharing tongues with a black tom. “Snagbranch, if you would see Ripplepaw to the border?”

“Yes, Smokespiral,” the tabby she-cat said. She murmured her farewell to her partner and padded over. “If you’re ready?” she inquired, and Ripplepaw waved her tail in acquiescence. She followed Snagbranch to the border in silence.

Ripplepaw decided to hunt during her walk back to the camp. The quickly-fading light was leading to the chill settling deeper over the land, but maybe she could find a mouse or two to take back to camp.

She stalked quietly through her territory, ears pricked for any sounds that might be prey. She had little siblings to feed, and a Clan to take care of

:::

“Keep your weight even,” Ripplepaw whispered to Pebblepaw. Shinefrost and Flamescar were nearby, keeping an eye on them. “If your weight’s too uneven, you’ll slam your paws down and scare your prey off.”

“I’m trying,” Pebblepaw hissed back, pinning her ears to her head.

“I’m just trying to help,” Ripplepaw muttered. “You don’t need to claw my ears off for it.”

She turned to go find her own prey to hunt, when something caught her attention. Someone was moving through their territory, and it didn’t sound like prey. Her nose in the air, she tried to catch the scent.

Flamescar and Shinefrost seemingly materialized by her side, having read her body language.

“I hear it,” Shinefrost murmured. Flamescar scented the air.

“I don’t have anything yet,” he replied. The three cats stalked towards the noise, gliding soundlessly over the ground. Shinefrost was the first to catch the scent, and she stopped them with an ear-flick.

“Rogue,” she hissed, and the three split up to try and surround the other cat.

Ripplepaw’s heart pounded in her chest. There was only one rogue there, but her head buzzed with anxiety and her veins thrummed with adrenaline.

Shinefrost broke out first, and Flamescar and Ripplepaw followed suit. Shinefrost was a silver blur as she pinned the cinnamon-colored rogue she-cat.

“What are you doing on RiverClan territory!” she snarled, her teeth up close and personal with the rogue she-cat’s face.

“Please don’t hurt me!” the rogue gasped, flinching away and cowering underneath Shinefrost. “I just want to get away from them, please, please, don’t hurt me!”

“Get away from who?” Shinefrost asked, letting up a little.

“My- my family, oh please, oh fox-dung, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, don’t hurt me!”

“Why are you trying to run away from your family?” Shinefrost asked, getting off of the other she-cat and letting her up. The smaller she-cat looked young- maybe a moon or two older than Ripplepaw, at the most.

“I don’t- I- my sisters, they’re, oh fox-dung, they hurt my sisters, they hurt me- we don’t want to be hurt anymore!” she cried, flinching away as Flamescar padded into view.

“Where are your sisters?” he asked, his voice low and soft.

“They’re, they’re a little ways back, I came first, please don’t hurt us,” she said.

Pebblepaw chose that moment to bound out into the open- her fur was fluffed and she was primed to attack, but Ripplepaw put herself between the overeager apprentice and the traumatized she-cat.

“Hey, it’s okay, don’t attack,” Ripplepaw murmured, dipping her muzzle close to Pebblepaw’s ear.

“Go get your sisters,” Shinefrost instructed, her voice gentle, “and we’re going to take you back to camp and talk with our leader. Why are you on our territory, specifically?”

“You were the closest,” the she-cat whispered, “and I hear stories about you- they tell us otherwise, but the other non-Clan cats talk. They say you don’t hurt the cats in your Clan. We don’t want to be hurt anymore.”

“Go find your sisters,” Shinefrost repeated, her voice softer. “We won’t hurt you, we promise.”

The four RiverClan cats watched the cinnamon she-cat pad off, and they waited there until she returned, two tortoiseshell she-cats following her.

“I’m Scree,” she said, her head low and orange eyes surveying the ground. “My sisters are Willow and Whisper.”

“My name is Shinefrost,” the silver warrior said. “My companions are Flamescar, Ripplepaw, and Pebblepaw.” The three cats dipped their heads in turn as she said their names. “We’re going to lead you back to our camp and discuss with our leader and senior warriors about what you want. I’m sure that if you truly wish to join the Clan, we can make a place for you. You wouldn’t be the first to.”

“Thank you,” Scree whispered, her head ducked. All three sisters shared the same scared, twitchy demeanor. Whisper had a claw-scar on her forehead, while Willow’s eyes scanned the area like she was looking for a ghost she was terrified of finding.

Not one of the cats spoke as they walked to the camp, at least until Flamescar spoke up.

“Ripplepaw, go give Stormstar a heads up about this,” he said.

“Will do,” she replied, and she picked up her pace until she was running through the territory. She slowed down near the camp, so her breathing was mostly normal, and she entered and walked over to Stormstar. He already had Dewfern, Redfoot, and Tornpelt around him- likely discussing tomorrow’s patrols.

She padded over and inserted herself into their conversation. “I was on hunting patrol with Flamescar, Shinefrost, and Pebblepaw, and we found three rogues- sisters- who expressed interest in, if not joining the Clan, sheltering with us for a night. They’re running away from their family.”

“Do you know why they’re running from their family?” Stormstar asked, his eyes hesitantly curious, like he was dreading the answer.

“Because they hurt them,” Ripplepaw replied.

Her response provoked discomfort among the warriors- they shifted and shared expressions.

“I was sent ahead to warn you,” she added, and Stormstar turned his gaze back to her.

“Thank you for the warning,” he said, dismissing her with a flick of his tail.

That night, they had three new denmates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! if you did, please leave a kudos and comment :)  
> with love,  
> Kestrel


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> warnings: character death. aftermath and recovery from abusive relationships.  
> ripple and stone finally get their names

RiverClan already had an apprentice named Willowpaw, so the former rogue named Willow had decided upon Leaf as her new name. So Leafpaw, Whisperpaw, and Screepaw joined the RiverClan-born apprentices in training.

“I’m Stonepaw,” he introduced himself. “I’m Ripplepaw’s littermate. Lilypaw, the medicine cat apprentice, is our other littermate. She’s really sweet so don’t be afraid to go talk to her if you need help or I don’t know, something.”

“Very eloquent,” Ripplepaw remarked, her tone dry. “Lilypaw is a sweetheart, don’t worry, she’ll like you.”

“What about the other ones?” Whisperpaw asked, her head ducked.

“Pebblepaw is a dog’s worth of spite wrapped into a small apprentice’s size, but she’s nice underneath all the prickliness,” Ripplepaw replied, flicking her tail.

“Don’t let Oakpaw’s posturing scare you,” Stonepaw continued. “He’s a softie at heart.”

“Minnowpaw and Duskpaw are nice,” Ripplepaw said.

“And Willowpaw doesn’t talk, but that doesn’t mean he’s not kind,” Stonepaw finished.

“Don’t worry, you’ll fit in fine,” Ripplepaw said, brushing against Whisperpaw’s side. “Just give yourself some time to adjust!”

Willowpaw was actually the first of the other five apprentices to approach the three new cats. He padded up to Screepaw and touched noses with her, and then Leafpaw and Whisperpaw. Having seen their brother give his approval, Minnowpaw and Duskpaw followed soon after.

“Hi!” Duskpaw said, her tail up in the air. “I’m Duskpaw, these are Minnowpaw and Willowpaw!” The two gold-eyed toms flicked their tails in greeting: Minnowpaw from his spot next to Duskpaw, and Willowpaw from his spot next to Stonepaw.

“Hello,” Screepaw said, her voice quiet.

Over the next few days, the three new apprentices started getting used to being around so many other cats.

“It’s hard to sleep, with so many other cats,” Screepaw whispered to Lilypaw, who watched her with compassionate green eyes.

“If you need to, you can come sleep in the medicine den while you adjust,” she offered. “Dawnheart won’t mind.”

“Sometimes the toms just scare me,” Whisperpaw confessed to Ripplepaw, her head ducked and her heart burning in shame. “I’ve seen that they’re not like that… but they still scare me.”

“I still blame myself for my sister’s death,” Ripplepaw replied, leaning in close and letting Whisperpaw cuddle up next to her. “Everyone tells me it’s not, and I believe them, but it’s hard to change a thought that’s so ingrained in you.”

Leafpaw spent most of her free time playing with Songkit, Scorchkit, Heronkit, and Mintkit. She would occasionally join the other apprentices, and when she did, she was withdrawn. The three sisters still spent as much time together as they could.

“It took me a long time to adjust, too,” Thorneye said. Screepaw leaned into her side, the older cat a comforting, solid presence. “I’ve never regretted joining the Clan, though. Even when we have disagreements, I know that no one will tolerate anyone hurting each other. It might as well be part of the Code: you don’t hurt your Clanmates.”

“You’ll need to be patient,” Thorneye later told Stonepaw, Willowpaw, Minnowpaw, and Oakpaw. “They’ve been hurt. A lot. Over a long time. They’ll warm up to you as they have time to heal.”

:::

Brackentail of SkyClan was a young warrior. His striped pelt blended well with his surroundings as he stalked through the forest, with the trees towering over his head. The thaw was coming soon, within the next moon, and for the moment there were still occasional patches of snow where it had built up underneath the bare branches.

A finch was hopping around the base of a tree a few tail-lengths ahead of him. His copper eyes were sharp as he focused on it. It wasn’t the most impressive of prey, but it was barely newleaf.

A few steps forward-

A scream cut through the quiet forest, startling the finch and other birds into flight.

Panic pounded in his chest. He knew that voice.

“Brightwater!” He yowled, launching into motion as he sprinted towards her scream. It only took a short bit to get to her. He was just in time to watch a grey tabby and a dilute calico run off.

“Brightwater,” he panted, skidding to a stop next to her. She was sprawled out, struggling to breathe, her throat a mess of torn skin and blood and shredded fur. The dark red gashes on her side from where she had been held down were stark against her grey pelt. Pain clouded yellow eyes.

Brackentail didn’t know what to do. His heart pounded, and he leaned in. The smell of her blood was strong in his nose.

“Brightwater,” he said again, his voice breaking.

She made some pained noises, like she was struggling to speak while drowning on her own blood.

Brackentail watched the cat he was courting die, bleeding out and drowning on her own blood.

There was nothing he could do.

:::

Ripplepaw walked alongside Stonepaw, Minnowpaw, and Duskpaw. The two younger apprentices had attended the Gathering last moon, too, only a couple nights after their apprentice ceremony. Stormstar had spoken with Whisperpaw, Leafpaw, and Screepaw’s mentors and decided not to bring them to the Gathering. They just weren’t quite ready to be around so many other, new, potentially hostile cats while they were still adjusting to Clan life.

The four apprentices followed Sunfall and Rainhaze, who here walking closely together, their pelts brushing.

SkyClan was already at Fourtrees when RiverClan arrived. Silverstar was sat on Greatrock, her blue fur shining in the moonlight and her form hunched as though she was finally bowing to time and showing her great age. Ripplepaw could read the concern in the movements of her Clanmates- Silverstar, despite her age, had never showed it even though if she was a regular warrior she would have retired to the elders’ den many moons ago.

The three SkyClan apprentices were withdrawn and quiet when the four RiverClan apprentices approached.

“Are you okay?” Minnowpaw asked, sitting down next to the black-and-white Crouchpaw.

Crouchpaw sighed.

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah. Rogues murdered one of our warriors a day or two ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Minnowpaw said, pressing briefly against Crouchpaw’s side.

Meadowpaw and Bloompaw were pressed against each other, and accepted Ripplepaw and Stonepaw’s presence next to them. Duskpaw joined Minnowpaw and Crouchpaw.

WindClan was the next Clan to arrive. Heatherpaw, Slatepaw, and Morningpaw joined the apprentices. All three, despite the hard leaf-bare, were in good spirits.

“Cloudwhisker and Breezefang are warriors!” Heatherpaw announced, sitting next to Duskpaw with a chirrup. “Why are you all so solemn?”

“Just- one of our warriors was murdered by rogues recently,” Meadowpaw replied. “We’ll be okay, we’re just sad.”

“Oh no!” Heatherpaw said.

“I hope you find the rogues who did it and shred them,” Morningpaw added while Slatepaw vocalized his agreement with her sentiment.

“We will,” Bloompaw vowed.

Ripplepaw was surprised when Wolflight padded over and greeted her.

“Stop being friendly with my archenemy!” Heatherpaw declared, hitting Wolflight with a paw.

“You were being friendly with her first,” he replied, his whiskers twitching in amusement. Heatherpaw harrumphed and sat back down next to Morningpaw. He turned back to Ripplepaw. “So, how’s leaf-bare treated you?”

“Better than it’s treated some cats,” Ripplepaw replied, her thoughts briefly turning to Mistpaw and ShadowClan, and Screepaw and her sisters.

“Well, that’s not a lie,” Wolflight mused, sitting down next to her. Her tail twitched with laughter.

“How have you been?” she asked.

“Well, it’s been kinda boring,” he replied, huffing. “We haven’t had a tragedy since we attacked your Clan. No one’s starved, no one’s gotten sick, no one’s attacked.”

Ripplepaw flicked an ear. “I think I’d rather take boring.”

“Ah, but where’s the fun in that?” Wolflight asked, his tone light.

“Not dying is fun,” Ripplepaw replied, her tone also light.

“Are they flirting?” Heatherpaw whispered to Morningpaw.

“I might shred him if he breaks the code and falls in love with your archenemy,” she replied.

“I’ll help you shred him,” Heatherpaw whispered back.

ShadowClan arrived with a skeleton crew- Frogstar joined Pebblestar, Silverstar, and Stormstar, Heatherwhisp joined the other deputies and Smokespiral joined the other medicine cats. Badgerpaw joined the apprentices and the three warriors they brought mingled with the other Clans.

Crouchpaw, Bloompaw, and Meadowpaw recognized something in Badgerpaw when she joined them.

“Who did you lose?” Meadowpaw asked.

“My brother, Batpaw,” Badgerpaw replied, sitting down next to the other she-cat.

“I’m sorry,” Meadowpaw’s voice was soft and sad as the two of them leaned into each other.

When Finchpaw, Poppypaw, Maplepaw, and Owlpaw from ThunderClan joined them, they kept themselves apart from the other apprentices and Wolflight. The space between them yawned open.

“Hey, we’re not going to bite,” Heatherpaw said, watching them with one questioning turquoise eye.

“Maybe we just don’t feel very friendly,” Owlpaw snapped, her grey ears pinned back. Heatherpaw flinched away.

“There’s no need to be rude,” Morningpaw growled. “What crawled into your nest and died?”

“It’s none of your concern,” Finchpaw replied, his voice stiff.

“Fine, be like that,” Morningpaw sniffed. “We don’t like you anyways.”

“Morningpaw, be nice,” Wolflight said, frowning at the younger cat. She glared back at him with baleful hazel eyes.

“Let the Gathering begin!” Frogstar yowled, her voice echoing around the hollow. She watched with solemn amber eyes while she waited for the Gathered cats to settle. “ShadowClan has recovered from greencough. Unfortunately, it took Batpaw from us before he could fight it off.”

Frogstar stepped back to allow Spottedstar to speak.

“ThunderClan thrives,” she said, and stepped back to let Silverstar step forward

“A couple days ago, our warrior Brackentail was murdered by rogues. We will not allow him to go unavenged.” Her voice was serious and dark as she made her vow, her yellow eyes dark.

Stormstar stepped forward. “We have been flourishing. Our apprentices progress rapidly and the River has provided well for us.”

It was Pebblestar’s turn as Stormstar stepped back.

“We are joined tonight by new warriors Cloudwhisker and Breezefang.” He stopped to allow the Gathered cats to chant their names for a few moments. “Our Clan is strong and we thank StarClan for another leaf-bare survived.”

The cats in the clearing murmured their agreement and thanks. Frogstar called the Gathering to a close, and Wolflight’s green gaze was warm as he turned it on Ripplepaw.

“I’ll see you around,” he said before walking off with Heatherpaw, Morningpaw, and Slatepaw.

“See you,” Ripplepaw replied, watching him for a moment before turning and leaving with Stonepaw, Minnowpaw, and Duskpaw.

“I think he likes you,” Stonepaw murmured, his voice cautious.

“He’s nice,” Ripplepaw said, keeping her voice pleasant and untelling.

The Clan walked back to their camp, occasional soft voices making remarks about the events of the Gathering.

When it happened, it lasted for only a few moments. Strange cats launched themselves into the Clan’s patrol, striking. Ripplepaw was tackled by a cinnamon tabby tom with cruel amber eyes. She screamed and writhed, digging claws into his face. He yowled and tried to pull away. She didn’t let him. Hot blood welled up underneath her claws as she gripped him. Her hind legs churned and battered at his belly, tearing soft fur and catching on skin. He bucked, trying to get away from her.

She let him go. She didn’t need to kill to win.

Her ears throbbed in time with the pounding of her heart as she watched him vanish. She hadn’t noticed him biting her ear, but there was definitely blood there.

At the front of what had been an orderly patrol, Stormstar’s form lay still. Dawnheart and Lilypaw were frantically trying to find a way to stem the blood flowing from the gashes on his stomach.

“Dawnheart!” Sunfall cried from where she was crouched next to Kinktail’s form. The angle of her neck was wrong.

Dawnheart only took a moment to glance at the grey-furred body. “Her neck’s broken; she’s dead.”

:::

Screepaw flinched away from Ripplepaw.

“You smell- you, you smell like m-my brother,” she gasped out, her orange eyes wide and glassy. “Did- he hurt you, he hurt you.” Her voice was too small.

“I hurt him back,” Ripplepaw replied, and Screepaw’s eyes hardened.

“Good,” she said. “Next time you shouldn’t let him live.”

Dewfern, her form exhausted, approached Ripplepaw and Stonepaw.

“I’ve already spoken with your mentors,” she said. Her voice was flat, like she couldn’t summon the energy. “Rest up. You leave with me for Highstones at dawn.”

A couple days later, Ripplemist and Stonefire met each other’s eyes. Something unquantifiable passed unsaid between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed! please leave a kudos and a comment letting me know what you thought. things are heating up.  
> with love,  
> kestrel


End file.
